Skip to main content

A Constraint-Based Model for Lexical and Syntactic Choice in Natural Language Generation

  • Conference paper
Constraint Solving and Language Processing (CSLP 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 3438))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 311 Accesses

Abstract

In this paper, we show how a constraint-based approach influences the modeling of (1) preposition lexicalization and of (2) the choice of syntactic structure in natural language generation (in particuler in French). We concentrate on the linguistic description, which is the most challenging. The CSP procedures themselves are then rather straightforward. In the first case, preposition choice depends on the verb and its requirements, on the one hand, and the characteristics of the NP the preposition heads, on the other hand. In the second case, the choice of a particular syntactic structure depends on syntactic, semantic and pragmatic constraints on a verb, its arguments and on the parameters of the semantic representation. These dependencies may induce somewhat contradictory expectations. A constraint-based approach introduces a declarative model of these complex relations, allowing to identify all the possible (1) lexical choices or (2) syntactic structures which can be predicted from lexical descriptions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Anaya, G.B., Kosseim, L.: Generation of natural responses through syntactic patterns. In: TALN (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Voorees, E.M.: Overview of the TREC 2002 Question Answering Track. In: Proceedings of TREC-11, NIST (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Benamara, F., Saint-Dizier, P.: WEBCOOP: a Cooperative Question-Answering System on the Web. In: EACL project notes, Budapest, Hungary (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Stede, M.: A Generative Perspective on Verb Alternations. Computational Linguistics 24(3), 401–430 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Stede, M.: Lexicalization in natural language generation: A survey. Artificial Intelligence Review 8, 309–336 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Reiter, E., Dale, R.: Building Applied Natural Language Generation Systems. Journal of Natural Language Engineering 3(1), 57–87 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cahill, L.: Lexicalization in applied NLG systems. Research report, ITRI-99-04 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stede, M.: Lexical Choice Criteria in Language Generation. In: 6th conference of the European chapter of the ACL, Utrecht (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Reiter, E., Sripada, S.: Human Variation and Lexical Choice. Computational Linguistics 28(4) (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Reiter, E., Sripada, S., Williams, S.: Acquiring and Using Limited User Models in NLG. In: European Workshop on Natural Language Generation, Budapest, Hungary (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jackendoff, R.: Semantic Structures. MIT Press, Cambridge (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cannesson, E., Saint-Dizier, P.: Defining and Representing preposition Senses: a preliminary analysis. In: ACL 2002-WSD, Philadelphia (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mari, A., Saint-Dizier, P.: A Conceptual Semantics for Prepositions Denoting Instrumentality. In: ACL-SIGSEM Workshop: The Linguistic Dimensions of Preposition and their Use in Computational Linguistics Formalisms and Applications, Toulouse, France (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Moriceau, V., Saint-Dizier, P.: A Conceptual Treatment of Metaphors for NLP. In: ICON, Mysore, India (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Pustejovsky, J.: The Generative Lexicon. MIT Press, Cambridge (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Saint-Dizier, P.: Alternations and Verb Semantic Classes for French. In: Saint-Dizier, P. (ed.) Predicatives Forms for NL and LKB. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Saint-Dizier, P., Vazquez, G.: A Compositional Framework for Prepositions. In: IWCS4, Tilburg. lecture notes. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Verkuyl, H., Zwarts, J.: Time and Space in Conceptual and Logical Semantics: the notion of Path. Linguistics 30, 483–511 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Levin, B.: English Verb Classes and Alternations. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1993)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Moriceau, V., Saint-Dizier, P. (2005). A Constraint-Based Model for Lexical and Syntactic Choice in Natural Language Generation. In: Christiansen, H., Skadhauge, P.R., Villadsen, J. (eds) Constraint Solving and Language Processing. CSLP 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 3438. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11424574_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11424574_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-26165-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-31928-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics